I’ve heard different bits of how business owners handle a local, small town store.

I got some insight from a local couple who have been in the local hardware, and lawn machine repair for probably going on 20+ years now. This totally contrasts advice that I received from the minority, and makes some food for thought.

This couple owns a hardware store that is so ‘not corporate’ it’s crazy. They live above their store, and did so when they had a stark idea that they were the business, not always just the parts they sold.

They’ve managed to outlive the Kmart, Hecks, Ames, Walmart and Thomas Do-it center for years. I’m sure varied ideas exist about why they survived all these giants coming into their market place, but they sure know why.

There has been two trains of thought I’ve heard through the years:

1. You leave your work at work.
2. Your work is what feeds you, if it follows you home, lead it back to work.

So, this couple decided early on that it was crazy to have a home separate from the store, since, even at very early hours in the morning, customers would call them! They apparently did for a short period of time resist the idea of this ‘local big corporation’ that is off the radar after hours.
After all, they have families, dogs, cats, homes to clean and personal lives.

Now, many years later, they gladly open their doors, when so many other small stores have closed them forever because they didn’t realize business can happen at anytime, and that’s how you build loyalty.

I’ve found that most doctors in my hometown will gladly see anyone, if they are good patients, at their office during odd hours. (It’s not even a policy to do that.)

I’ve seen that even though the hours of operation of a heating and cooling company is 9-5, and they don’t mention they man the phones, it rings to their homes. I’ve asked electricians why they forward their phones as well, and service is just that… service.

Boyd Pickens, rest his soul,  answered that question for me a long time ago, and that’s why, Heaven Forbid, when a customer knocked on my parent’s front door at 1pm on a Sunday and needed a lawn raked, I never complained. He taught me that if a customer comes to see you, you had better do the job, they went out of their way to find you.

I’m always soliciting for feedback, lately, my google rank has became so good that I do get it. If a Wendy’s manager says that he’d never open his doors, that’s fine. It’s a service to do food, but you can buy a loaf of bread and deli meat 24 hours a day. When your electric, computer, water, heating, cooling, or truck breaks down you can’t just buy a load of bread and beat the engine until it works: you need a professional.